SSE and Equinor end plans to produce green hydrogen in the North Sea

British company SSE and Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor have ended their joint plans to produce green hydrogen in the North Sea using electricity from the planned Dogger Bank D offshore wind farm. The international news outlet Argus reported.

Plans to build another phase of the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, known as Dogger Bank D, were announced last February. Its installed capacity could reach around 2 GW.

The developers were exploring two options for handling the electricity generated. The first was to transmit it to the British electricity system via a connection point in Lincolnshire. The second was to produce green hydrogen in the Humber region.

Last December, SSE and Equinor signed contracts for feasibility studies of the green hydrogen production project. The studies were to be carried out by London-based companies Genesis and H2GO Power, together with German consultancy Fichtner. SSE said at the time that, if built, the project would be one of the largest green hydrogen production projects in the UK.

According to information released recently, however, SSE and Equinor ultimately decided to end their plans to produce green hydrogen after receiving confirmation that the wind farm's output could be connected to the British electricity system.

"The wind farm will connect to the new 400kV Birkhill Wood substation in East Riding of Yorkshire, which will be built as part of National Grid's Great Grid Upgrade project," the companies said.

The international news outlet Argus noted that SSE is preparing at least two smaller green hydrogen projects in the UK: one at the onshore Gordonbush wind farm, and the Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder project, which will combine hydrogen production and storage with subsequent electricity generation. The projects did not receive support in the first allocation round for hydrogen projects, but SSE said it would apply for support in future rounds.